Online Reporter
Disability Issues
Dr Christine Peta
On June 12, the world marked World Day Against Child Labour.
The commemorations ran under the theme “Red card to child labour: Fair play for children, decent work for adults”.
The campaign calls for urgent action to protect children from exploitation and ensure adults have decent work that eliminates the economic pressures driving child labour.
Within this global crisis lies an overlooked reality: the plight of children with disabilities and children of parents with disabilities, who are disproportionately affected.
Globally, an estimated 138 million children remain trapped in child labour, with nearly 54 million engaged in hazardous work.
Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for nearly two-thirds of all child labourers — about 87 million.
According to the United Nations, agriculture remains the largest sector, accounting for 61 percent of all cases, followed by domestic work, street vending, industry, mining and manufacturing.
Within these sectors, children with disabilities aged five to 15 face unique vulnerabilities.
Some families view children with disabilities as “less deserving” of schooling and more suited to menial work. Instead of classrooms, many find themselves in workshops, farms or streets, performing various tasks for survival.
Child labour is dangerous for any young person.
However, for children with disabilities, the risks are magnified.
A child with limited mobility forced into agriculture may face exposure to chemicals or unsafe machinery.
Deaf children engaged in street vending or informal manufacturing are vulnerable to accidents because communication barriers prevent them from understanding safety instructions.
Children with intellectual disabilities, such as autism or Down syndrome, are often relegated to household or farm labour — fetching water, tending animals or cleaning — without opportunities to learn literacy or vocational skills.
Children with albinism, especially in rural areas, may be forced into sun-exposed agricultural work without protection, leading to severe health risks such as skin damage or cancer.
These examples show how disability compounds vulnerability, leaving children more prone to exploitation, accidents and lifelong harm.
Another overlooked group is that of children of parents with disabilities.
Across Africa, it is not uncommon to see children accompanying parents with disabilities as they beg for alms.
These children spend their days in public spaces instead of classrooms, exposed to exploitation, stigma and unsafe environments.
Growing up dependent on pity erodes self-confidence and reinforces harmful stereotypes about disability and poverty.
These children inherit cycles of marginalisation that are difficult to break.
The Marrakech Global Framework for Action against Child Labour, adopted at the International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s 6th Global Conference in Morocco in February 2026, provides a road map for tackling child labour through integrated responses.
For children with disabilities and children of parents with disabilities, this means ensuring every policy and programme is designed with inclusion at its core.
The Government of Zimbabwe has committed to protecting children’s rights and advancing disability inclusion.
Government agencies, development organisations, civil society and communities are working together to ensure that no child is forced into begging or exploitative labour because of systemic neglect.
Doors are open for persons with disabilities to access decent work and dignity and for their children to access education, safety and hope.
This year’s theme, “Red card to child labour: Fair play for children, decent work for adults”, resonates strongly.
For children with disabilities and children of parents with disabilities, fair play means classrooms instead of pavements, dignity instead of pity and futures built on opportunity rather than exclusion.
Ending child labour among these groups is not only a moral imperative but a test of our collective humanity.
Raising the red card must mean more than a symbolic gesture.
It must translate into concrete action that ensures children with disabilities and children of parents with disabilities are not left behind.
Their right to education, dignity and safety is inseparable from the broader fight against child labour. Only then can we build a future where every child, regardless of ability, thrives in classrooms rather than workplaces.
Dr Christine Peta is a disability, public health, policy, international development and research expert. She can be contacted on: [email protected]
